Improvement in tobacco-machines



J. F.QUESADA.

TOBACCO MACHINE.

No. 180,789. Patented Aug. 8, 1876.

ZZZ/en Z01 ZJG/ jgaceszwza/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.-J.OSE'F. IQUESADA, OF ST. Louis, MISSOURI.

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I Specification forming part of L ettersPntqn Q 9:7 1876;" application filed January 26,1876.

To all whom it magcmwern:

Be it known that I, Josn F. Qunsnns, of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented an Innproved Machine t'or Manufacturing Smoking- Tobacco, of which. the following is a specifics.

' tion:

My invention has for its objects the utilize.

tion of the strips or stems of leaf-tobacco, and

to convert said stemsinto smoking-tobacco.

This invention relates 'to' an improved construction and combination of parts, such as rollers, roll-cutters, driving-gearyto operate for purposes of flattening stems of tobacco,

cutting same lengthwise and crosswise, to

achieve the objects herein set 'forth.

.Of the drawing, Figure '1 is a sectional elevation on line a; wot'vihigfi. .Fighflism. ,top plan. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, showing'driving-gear. Figs. 4 and 5 respective detail viewsof constructing the rotary cutters- A represents a suitablev box or frame to,

contain the operating parts. At A the feedtrough is shown. B is the lower driving-roll er. This is on a shaft, b, which is supported in proper bearings in the box A. On one end the driving-shaft carries a fly-wheel, 11 (see dotted lines, Fig. 3,) and on the opposite end the'driving. power is connected, as will here- 7 ji'nat'ter appear, Theroller B has a smooth cylinder-surface, and is arranged to the feedentrance; A, as showni'n Figs. land 2. B is it the. upper roller. This likewise is on a shaft,

1), supported in proper jonrnahbearings; also,

said roller has the same smooth cylinder-surface, and is' arranged immediately top of the roller B, and with relation to. the .feed-entrance, as shown .in Figs. .1 and 2. Thepur -poseof1these rollers B B 'is' to. take hold.of' the stems of tobacco to crush, flatten, or leaf ;samerduring theitime they are fed through J-said ,rollers.-- .Thestems thus acted upon by gupon by the Y center-roller cutters.

-.the.rollers B B pass along top of the bottom board h (see Fig; 1) to reacha'nd be'acted I O represents the center-roller cutter. (See Figs. 1, 2,

13.) It consists of circular knife-blades 0,

and between each of these is placed a section of a roller cl. (See Figs. 1, 2,-4.) Next, through these parts 0 0, center, is passed the shaft 0, and .in order to secure the blades and roller-sections the-outercaps 0, Figs. 2

and 4, are provided with screw-threads, Fig. 4, and screwed on each end of the shaft, as

, indicated. The caps, tightly screwedon, brace .the sections against the cutter-blades, and there are held immovable. The knife-edges partly protrude (see Figs. 1 and 4) to cut as the stems pass through th'e'surface of the sections.

Iirfjthis way the cutters O can readily be made of the desiredwidth; also, can be taken apart and replaced, as repairs necessitate. Its

shaft 0 turns in proper journal-bearing The .purpose of the center-roller cutter G is to cut the stems lengthwise or longitudinally, and

hence this arrangement of its blades. It is 1 also to feed on itscut stems to the'remaining cutters. l'm-mediately therefore, under 0 is a further roller, Ggtnrnmg hy itsshaft o. The

.-knife-edges of the cutter (J slightly enter the .surface of this roller 0, and this, besides serving to feed the stems, also serves to clean said knife-edges. From between the center cutter 0 and roller 0 the cut stems are next passed top of aboard, a, (see Fig. 1,) to the remaining cutters, for final cutting. The last cutters referred to are D D. (See Fig. 1.) They are also roller-cnttersthat is, each consisting of blades inserted and held fast in the body of the roller.

As they are both alike in construction, I:

will only describe that of D. Let drepresent the roller-body. This I slit, so as to receive at points equidistant the cutter-blades d.-.

side caps d are also secured in position against the sides of the roller, which completes the upper cutter D. ready for operation, its shaft turning in the housing. The lower sim-- ilar roller-cutter D, by its shaft d, turns in the housing.

It will be noticed that the cutters d of both D D run. or are amused crosswise. the obin order to free its surface from tobacco.

also, it will be'noticed that the cutters of the lower one, D', come in contact with the a per one, D, just midway between its blades. his gives the requisite, cut as to the size of the particles forming smoking-tobacco.. F is a guard-plate, (see Fig. 1,) its lower edge coming hear in contact with the upper roller B, At f is shown a comb in contact with the knifeedges of the roller-cutter 0, serving also to clean and comb said knife-edges. Otherwise, guard-plates on covers 0 0 protect the space between the housing and the roller and rollercutter sides, so as to prevent the stems or tobacco from finding a lodging, or chokingthe rotation of these parts.

The driving-power to operate my machine can be hand or steam, or any ordinary power, and is applied to the drivingshaft having the crank. (Shown in Fig.3.) This driving-shaft carries a spur-gear, f, made to gear with the next spur-gear f -on the shaft of the upper roller B. Further, top of the machine is a shaft, ff, carrying also a spur-gear, f. This meshes with the gear f also, the gear f on the shaft of the rotary cutter O. The gearf also meshes with the gear f to drive the lower roller 0!; also, the gear f meshes with the next top gear f", which is on a separate top shaft, turning top of the boxing A. This top gear f, meshing with the gear f -on the shaft of the upper-roller cutter D, causes the latter gear to impart rotation to the lower cutter .D' by means of its spur-gear f and all of which is shown in Fig. 3.

In this wise the operation of the rollers proper and roller-cutters will be in reverse di rections, facilitating the feeding through the machine of the stems, and enabling the application of the power to be at one shaft.

The operation of my invention is simple, and most effective in cutting the stems, and by its means the extra expense incurred in wasting the stems of leaf -tobacco can be avoided, as well as being a ready manner of economizing time, labor, and expense in util-' izing said tobacco.

What I claim is- An improved tobacco-machine, consisting of the rollers B B O, roll-cutters O D 1), arranged with relation to each other, and to feed and discharge entrances A E, the guard F, comb f, and driving-gear, all said parts being combined and constructed as shown and described, to operate in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony of said invention I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSE F. QUESADA. -Witnesses:'

WILLIAM W. HERTHEL, GEORGE WEIDNER. 

